Hello! I purchased the Helix a week ago, after using the POD HD500 for the last 7 years. I'm having a ton of fun exploring the capabilities of the unit but seem to be struggling in one particular area. I'm experiencing some over-saturation in the low end when going for medium to high-gain lead tones, and I've explored the forums here and elsewhere to get ideas. I've already tried low cuts (typically I cut at ~120k)... and generally lowering the bass in the amp models too, to around 2 or 3. It could be me, or something in the way my Helix is generally setup. As a reference point, I'm going for a classic early Van Halen tone (I particularly enjoy his tones on the second album, and Fair Warning).
Given my experience with the HD500, I'm used to tweaking the sag and bias controls, and understand that cranking them (while great for more sustain), can make the low end a bit too smooth (and loss of any crisp edge). However, I didn't have the same issue with the HD500. I could still relatively crank sag and bias (usually around 65-80%) and still retain lower string note clarity with my bridge humbucker. Now, the low end on the high gain patches become way too smooth and lose any crisp edge... it almost sounds as if I'm using a neck pickup instead (well not quite, but approaching that). High strings still cut through the mix though.
I am happy to share some sound clips, if that helps. Also, I'm starting to feel that maybe others don't mind that type of tone... most of the YouTube videos that I have watched to get ideas from, they also tend to be okay with a relatively flat sounding lead guitar tone, with little bite. Jason Sadites is a great example, and I don't mean this to be a derogatory statement, as he is a fantastic player and he receives a ton of praise from many Helix owners (I also love that he has committed so much time to sharing his experiences and ideas). I've downloaded all of his patches from the CustomTone website (https://line6.com/customtone/profile/jaysadites/) and they just don't cut through the mix... neither the lows, mids or highs. I can hear that in his YouTube videos too - just kind of sounds too flat to me. Anyways, I appreciate any comments or recommendations!